Month: January 2022

Applying for Oxford

Much like its counterpart Cambridge, Oxford stands out as a north star for the studious. Its reputation across every subject and department is world-leading, as are the copious resources available to the diverse scholars who live and study there. It’s no surprise, therefore, that last year more than 23,000 students applied for undergraduate programmes and an additional 34,000 for graduate studies, with a dauntingly low 14% and 16% success rate respectively. Indeed, given these admissions statistics, it might be more appropriate to compare Oxford to the North Pole rather than to the North Star. You can easily find them on a map, but they are a long, hard slog to get there!

 

Some students get in on their first attempt, while others, like myself, apply more than once before gaining admittance. In that respect I wish that I’d had the help of Think Tutors when I was first applying to Oxford, since it would have helped make the admissions process both less intimidating and more efficient (not to mention efficacious)—but the upshot is that I’m at Oxford now (studying for my DPhil in history) and that both myself and others at Think Tutors can help you navigate this challenging but exhilarating endeavour.

 

Naturally, it goes without saying that it is more than worth the effort of applying. Studying in the city of dreaming spires is like running with Usain Bolt, cooking with Gordon Ramsey (minus the profanity), and being on stage with Beyoncé. It’s like living inside Hogwarts, Disneyland and Brideshead Revisited all at once. For there is nowhere else in the world quite like it. The libraries are the biggest and most beautiful; the colleges are the oldest and grandest; the dining halls are the most storied and splendid—and the pubs are the quaintest and their ales the most quaffable. Even bizarre traditions like college tortoise racing and Merton’s Time Ceremony are uniquely quirky and cool.

How does the Oxford application process work?

Like Cambridge, Oxford operates along a collegiate system. This means that rather than studying at the University of Oxford as such, you actually live and learn (more so at the undergraduate level) in a specific college. This could be at any one of thirty-nine different colleges or six permanent private halls (known as PPHs, which specialise in but are not limited to theological training). All of these are scattered around the centre of the city and its adjoining precincts.

How do I choose an Oxford college?

Choosing a college is a major decision. It’s not quite as important as deciding which subject to study, but it’s close. After all, it’s the colleges which directly interview and admit students to the university. One’s college is where you live and eat, learn and study, as well as socialise (and occasionally party!). There are no ‘bad’ colleges, however, only different ones. Some are well-known for their academic achievement (as measured by the number of firsts attained in a given year, as reported in The Norrington Table). While others may be known for their beauty, traditions, food, student experience, welfare support and so on. The best way to pick a college is to view their websites, watch their videos, and visit the college in person.

 

Personally, when choosing a college, I have always cared more about the beauty of its buildings, the quality of its food, and the centrality of its location rather than whether it had a high score on the table or if it was a ‘rich’ college (i.e., had a massive endowment). I like to focus on the things that make every day a little bit more magical, which is why I applied to (and was thankfully accepted) at Harris Manchester College.

 

Life at Harris Manchester is terrific for a number of reasons. First, its library is a beautiful and friendly place to study. Second, its food and dining hall are utterly fantastic, which is ideal for me, not only because I’m a glutton and love to eat, but also because I enjoy brining friends from other colleges to dine at formal dinners. Third, the college, though not large, has stunning buildings, which always give me the Hogwarts shivers. Lastly, as a small college it’s a more intimate atmosphere which I really enjoy and its location in the city centre meant that other libraries and amenities were never far away.

Applying to Oxford as a post-graduate

As a doctoral student I don’t spend time in lectures and mostly work researching in the library (both in college and at the Bodleian). This past year, however, I worked both as a Junior Dean at Regent’s Park College and helped teach in the history faculty. This provided me with a great window into the current undergraduate experience at Oxford. It was encouraging to see that despite the strains and limitations of a pandemic, students were still making the most of their studies. Indeed, I didn’t encounter a single person who wished they were going to university elsewhere.

 

So too, in the years ahead, life at the university should return to normal. This means that everything from bops (i.e., themed college parties) and rowing to debates at the Oxford Union and student clubs should be up and running again. For me, that means once again joining other students golfing, beagling and blind wine tasting. For others it could be doing judo, choir, skiing or pretty much anything else under the sun. There are even skydiving and scuba diving clubs.

Is it worth applying to Oxford?

It’s hard to put into words how magical and rewarding it is to attend Oxford. That said, it is not easy. Nothing is. The pace and the pressure can be highly demanding and that can take its toll, although there are a lot of pastoral and welfare resources available to assist with keeping calm and carrying on. But despite these challenges, the uphill climb to get into Oxford is more than worth your efforts.

 

At Think Tutors we’re expertly equipped to help you along your way. We provide expert advice on applying for Oxbridge, including support around entry requirement for Oxford, writing your Oxford personal statement, and mock interviews. If you are interested in learning more you can contact us at any time.

Applying for Oxbridge?

The first thing to note is that Oxbridge is not the Ivy League: you don’t need a mountain of extracurriculars on your application. Oxford and Cambridge are primarily interested in your proven and potential academic abilities. This includes, but is not limited to, having the prerequisite grades and providing references who can speak to your strengths as a student.

 

Just as importantly, applicants should possess a burning passion for their subject, which can be evidenced by having read about or explored their intellectual interests beyond the boundaries of their classroom. Likewise, they ought to possess (or are cultivating) the ability to articulate (both in writing and speaking) their passion and curiosity for their chosen subject.

How do I succeed in the application process?

Given the tutorial system employed at both Oxford and Cambridge, the ability to communicate engagingly about your subject is of paramount importance. That is not suggest that charisma is key. I’ve seen many an awkward wall-flower get in. Rather, interviewers are looking for students who can communicate intelligently (which is not the same as authoritatively) about a given topic or question—usually through the medium of a two-way conversation, rather than a grandstanding student monologue. This does not come naturally to everyone, but I’m never met an applicant who did not benefit from various forms of practice.

Personal Statement

The personal statement is of paramount importance in the application process. This is where you are given the opportunity to demonstrate your aptitude, experience, and enthusiasm for a course. Writing successive drafts and acquiring editorial comments to help improve your statement is vital. I would also recommend getting up-to-date with leading scholars in your field, reading their most accessible works so that you can reference the kinds of ideas and debates that are of contemporary interest to your field. This enables you to show that your interest in your proposed programme of study is more than skin deep.

Choosing an Oxbridge College

Lastly, I would recommend investing a lot of time into deciding which college to apply to. Each college has its own ethos and priorities. Some, for instance, pride themselves on admitting more state school applicants. Others have a larger intake from public schools. There are some which admit an above average number of international applicants. Similarly, there are some which have higher intakes of humanities students and others who focus more on the sciences. All of this information can be found on college websites. But it’s important to do your homework, as there is no point prioritising a college for which you may not be a natural fit.

 

Most of all, it is important to choose a college that feels like it could become your home. To that end, I would highly recommend visiting colleges in person and reaching out to their admissions offices about opportunities to speak with current members. The students they can put you in touch with have been where you have been and felt what you might currently being feeling: hearing their stories and learning from their experiences could be highly valuable.

How can Think Tutors help?

If this all sounds a little daunting, don’t worry. Think Tutors is well equipped to assist with each stage of the application process. If it sounds all too easy, be mindful that a mixture of humility and hard work goes a long way. After all, only about 14% of undergraduate applicants are awarded places. Naturally, there are no guarantees. Perhaps the brightest of all my tutees made it through to the interview stage at Oxford only to be rejected—and then accepted at Harvard with a scholarship! The one thing that I can advise, however, is that solid preparation and expert advice can go a long way in making your Oxbridge dreams a reality.